Elizabeth Akua Ohene (born 24 January 1945) is a

Ghana Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...

ian journalist and a politician. She served as

Minister of State Minister of State is a title borne by politicians in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a Minister of State is a Junior Minister of government, who is assigned to assist a specific Cabinet Minister. In o ...

for Tertiary Education in Ghana under President

John Kufuor John Kofi Agyekum Kufuor (born 8 December 1938) is a Ghanaian politician who served as the President of Ghana from 7 January 2001 to 7 January 2009. He was also Chairperson of the African Union from 2007 to 2008. Kufuor's career has been sp ...

. She had previously served as the Editor of the ''Daily Graphic'', the first woman in the role.

Early life and education

Elizabeth Ohene was born on 24 January 1945 in Ho in the

Volta Region Volta Region (or Volta) is one of Ghana's sixteen administrative regions, with Ho designated as its capital. It is located west of Republic of Togo and to the east of Lake Volta. Divided into 25 administrative districts, the region is multi-et ...

. She attended Mawuli School and gained admission to the

University of Ghana The University of Ghana is a public university located in Accra, Ghana. It the oldest and largest of the thirteen Ghanaian national public universities. The university was founded in 1948 as the University College of the Gold Coast in the Br ...

in 1964, graduating with B. A. (Hon.) degree in English in 1967. She also attended the

University of Indiana Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. Campuses Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI. *Indiana Universit ...

, in Bloomington, Indiana,

USA The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

, where she obtained a Mass Communication Certificate. She was a Press Fellow from January to June 1983 at Wolfson College,

University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

, in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

Career

Ohene worked as a journalist at the ''

Daily Graphic ''The Daily Graphic: An Illustrated Evening Newspaper'' was the first American newspaper with daily illustrations. It was founded in New York City in 1873 by Canadian engravers George-Édouard Desbarats and William Leggo, and began publication ...

'' and in 1979 became the first woman in

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

to edit a major national daily newspaper. She went into exile after criticising the government of

Jerry Rawlings Jerry John Rawlings (22 June 194712 November 2020) was a Ghanaian military officer and politician who led the country for a brief period in 1979, and then from 1981 to 2001. He led a military junta until 1992, and then served two terms as the de ...

. She is a former Minister of State to the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports. She is also part of the award-winning BBC ''

Focus on Africa ''BBC Focus on Africa'' was a quarterly magazine established in 1990, based in London, UK, and available widely in Africa and in English-speaking countries globally. The magazine covered news, politics, economics, social events, culture and sport ...

'' team. Ohene was also the spokesperson in former President

's administration. When Ohene began her career in journalism with the ''Daily Graphic'' in Ghana, it was during a time of political upheaval. She relocated to

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

to continue her work as a journalist as the publisher and editor of a weekly news magazine called ''Talking Drums''. She later become the Deputy Editor of Daily Programmes in the African Service division of

BBC World Service The BBC World Service is an international broadcasting, international broadcaster owned and operated by the BBC, with funding from the Government of the United Kingdom, British Government through the Foreign Secretary, Foreign Secretary's o ...

. Ohene lived in London for 19 years, after leaving Ghana in need of sanctuary. She remembers London fondly, even now that Ghana is a relatively safe and stable country. Ghana is now considered the safest country for African journalists, and freedom of the press is reportedly thriving.

World Press Freedom Day The United Nations General Assembly declared May 3 to be World Press Freedom Day or just World Press Day, observed to raise awareness of the importance of freedom of the press and remind governments of their duty to respect and uphold the right ...

, sponsored by the

United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

, was hosted in Ghana in May 2018. This was a significant gesture, as under the regime of Jerry John Rawlings journalists were often classified as enemies of the state and were often tortured and killed. Ohene was working as the editor of the ''Daily Graphic'' in Ghana while Rawlings was in control of the country. She published an editorial questioning Rawlings' rule, and she had to leave the country to escape his wrath. She went to London, and established the magazine ''Talking Drums'', with two colleagues who escaped with her. The purpose of ''Talking Drums'' was to have a platform to expose the human rights abuses happening in Ghana. She was appointed the Chairman of the Board of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

Politics

Ohene opposes corrupt public officials in Ghana; she has stated that corruption should be known as "stealing" and pointed out that it is a scourge on progress for any country. She has stood up for freedom of the press. In 2016, she advocated for a reporter who was banned from the

Ghana Parliament The Parliament of Ghana is the legislative body of the Government of Ghana. History Legislative representation in Ghana dates back to 1850, when the country was a British colony known as Gold Coast. The body, called the Legislative Council, w ...

for suspected misreporting, stating that she believes a reporter's job is to push boundaries, and that mistakes should be a teachable moment but nothing more severe. Ohene is in favour of limiting the population growth in Ghana, as a measure to decrease poverty. She supports the work of Dr Leticia Adelaide Appiah, executive director of the National Population Council, and Appiah's proposal that women in Ghana should be limited to three children or lose access to free government services. Ohene has been criticized by the Volta Youth Forum for her lack of support for traditional rulers, specifically for her harsh words against

Togbe Afede XIV Togbe Afede XIV (born James Akpo on 23 April 1957) is the Agbogbomefia of the Asogli State, President of Asogli Traditional Area, and former President of the National House of Chiefs. Early life and education Togbe Afede XIV was born as Jame ...

, the Paramount Chief of the Asorgli State and the President of the National House of Chiefs, in 2018. Miss Elizabeth Ohene was the government spokesperson in President Kufuor's Administration.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ohene, Elizabeth 1945 births Living people University of Ghana alumni Government ministers of Ghana Indiana University Bloomington alumni Ghanaian journalists 20th-century Ghanaian women politicians Mawuli School alumni Ghanaian women journalists Ewe people 20th-century journalists